Drawing can be defined as the mother of all visual arts; it often transcends its role as mere preparation for a painting or sculpture, becoming a small masterpiece in its own right. This has always been the case—from the pencil and red chalk (sanguine) masterpieces of the great Renaissance masters, all the way to the present day.

In this brief selection, we present drawings by four artists—from the past and the present—each with distinct styles and characteristics.

Pietro Annigoni is known for having produced an extensive body of drawings, which highlight his remarkable technical skill and his sensitivity in recreating settings and figures with just a few strokes.

Giulio Ruffini also dedicated much of his practice to drawing; featured here are works spanning from the 1950s to the 1990s, depicting places where he once stayed—from the streets of Paris to views of the rolling hills.

The drawings by Elena Mutinelli—originally conceived as sketches for her sculptures of centaurs, specifically "Pholus" and "Chiron"—serve as a classic example of graphic work that extends beyond the sculpture itself, imbued with its own unique strength and poetry.

These drawings by Roshanak Khalilian are part of a series created in 2025 during a workshop at the Château de La Marthonie, in France. They are intimate works in which the artist fosters a dialogue between the piano—and its music—and the surrounding architecture.